


Worry of Worries

by Lumelle



Category: Housepets!
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Puppies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-17
Updated: 2012-12-17
Packaged: 2017-11-21 14:40:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/598898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumelle/pseuds/Lumelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bailey has plans, or at least a suggestion. As usual, King worries far too much.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Worry of Worries

**Author's Note:**

> Part of my December project, in which I post one chapter and one one-shot for each day up until the 25th.
> 
> The fandom for this one is the wonderful [Housepets!](http://www.housepetscomic.com/).

"Hey, King?"

His only answer is a questioning hum, his face pressed into Bailey's belly. Her fur is soft and warm, her heart beating strong under his hand, one of her hands scratching his ears. Oh, yeah, he's blissfully distracted.

"Have you thought about puppies?"

"Hm?" Very, very distracted. "What about puppies?"

"Having them, silly." The chuckle rushes through Bailey's entire body, a sensation King has grown quite fond of. Right now, though, he is too shocked to truly enjoy it.

"What? You mean, having puppies? Like, you and me? Together?"

"Uh, yeah. That's usually the way it works." Bailey stops scratching his head, which prompts King to look up to her, finding her looking at him with concern. "Something wrong?"

"Yes! I mean, no! I mean…" King sighs. "I don't know."

"Not too keen on the idea, huh?"

"Well, it's not like I've given it much thought." Aside from some somewhat panicked contemplations usually brought up by getting tormented by the wolf cubs. "I mean, I'm just not sure it'd be a great idea." And here he goes making her mad. He seems to have a talent for that.

"Why not?" Funny, she doesn't sound mad. She does have the look on her face that usually appears whenever she thinks he's being strange. It's been getting less frequent lately, which he has taken as a good sign. Apparently he's not quite as well integrated as he'd thought, though.

"What's the rush? I mean, it's not like we're getting old or anything." And that, dear King, is stalling, not a reason.

"No, but we're not getting any younger, either. And it's not like our lives are likely to change in any significant way in the near future, either."

"They would change in a pretty big way if we had puppies, though."

"Not as much as you'd think." Bailey scratches his ears again. King isn't sure if it means she's distracted or trying to calm him down. "I've already talked with my family, and they'd be fine with it."

"You have?" So he is the last one to be informed?

"Of course. Didn't want you to have another panic attack over my having to move again or anything." He never had a panic attack. Just fretted a little bit. Okay, a lot. "And it's not like I told them I was definitely going to have puppies. Just asked if it'd be a problem if I wanted to. And even if something happened, Lucretia said they'd be happy to have me move in, too."

Oh, yeah, definitely the last one to hear. He sighs. "I'd be a terrible dad."

"Aw, I don't think so. You're great with the cubs. They adore you."

"Yeah, because they think I'm a talking chew toy!"

"Oh, that's not true and you know it." He isn't entirely convinced, but if it makes her happy to think that, who is he to tell her otherwise? "I think you'd be a great dad, King. Well, except you'd probably worry about every little thing."

"I don't worry about everything."

"King, I heard you telling the cubs not to eat their meat raw or their tummies will ache." Okay, so sometimes his human memories get to the surface, surely that's not a crime. "It's adorable, though."

"I think they've tried to eat me a couple of times. I'd hate to get eaten by my own kids."

"Like I would let that happen." Bailey sighs. "What are you so afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid of anything." His voice doesn't sound convincing even to his own ears, though. Of course he's afraid, afraid of so many things it's not even remotely funny. He's afraid of things like messing up the whole family thing, of messing things up with Bailey again except this time he'd be losing more than just her, of being a bad parent and especially of being a bad dog parent.

Of admitting he is really going to stay a dog for the rest of his life.

"…I don't even know how to be a dog properly." There. That's a legitimate concern right there.

"You're a wonderful dog, King." Bailey's voice is soft, now, her hand gentle as it ruffles his fur. It's the closest they've ever come to admitting his origin ever since the very awkward, very stressful conversation during which his secret had come out, only for Bailey to entirely ignore it and draw him even closer. He is so lucky to have her, so lucky to have this wonderful girl with a bigger heart than any human he's ever known could even dream of. "Sure, you're a bit strange sometimes, but everyone is strange in their own way. I'm sure between the two of us, we would raise some wonderful puppies."

"You really think so?" He hides his face in her fur, his voice little more than a murmur. "You don't think I'd just screw them up?"

"Oh, I think you'd freak out at least once a day, and fret over every last thing, and probably threaten any human who wanted to give them a home or just insist they stay with you, and in the end raise them to be the wisest and strongest and most adorable dogs in the world."

"…You really want to do this, huh."

"I'd like it, yes. But only if you want it too."

"I'm just worried it'll go wrong somehow." After all, they've established over and over again that he is the type to worry. "That I'll screw it up somehow, or that it's not the right time."

"We're dogs, King. We've both got food and a roof over our heads, and that's not likely to change. Why should we worry about anything else?"

"You know, Bailey, I really love you, but sometimes you just don't worry enough."

"What is there to worry about when you have love?"

"…You've talked with Cousin Rodney, haven't you." He doesn't bother to make it a question.

"He's a wise wolf sometimes." She pauses. "It's fine, King. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have just sprung it on you like that. I know you tend to think like a human sometimes."

It's one of the hardest battles he's ever had with himself, almost as hard as when he refused the chance to change back in order to stay with his new friends. However, in the end, he emerges victorious, which strangely is not a given in his battles with himself. "Don't apologise, Bailey. I mean… you're right."

"I am?" There's surprise in her tone.

"Yeah. I mean, we love each other, right? And… I do want pups with you, I just can't stop fretting. But you're right. I'm a dog, and I should think a bit more like a dog." He turns just enough to press a kiss into her belly. "Let's have puppies, Bailey."

He's suddenly drawn up into her arms, into an embrace so tight it chases his breath out of his body. As he finally gets some air, he looks at Bailey's beaming face, and knows he's made the right choice.

They have love. There's nothing else to worry about.

…Hopefully with Bailey's genes, the pups will at least be tall enough they don't need a step ladder to chase their own tails.


End file.
